


Shark Week 2

by lilaussieauthor, theauthenticme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Cheryl cares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Soft Cheryl, Soft Toni, Toni Topaz Needs a Hug, Toni Topaz has her period, choni, shark week, soft choni
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 23:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18670774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilaussieauthor/pseuds/lilaussieauthor, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthenticme/pseuds/theauthenticme
Summary: Cheryl looks after Toni during her period. Role reversal on our first Shark Week one-shot.





	Shark Week 2

**Author's Note:**

> This was a highly requested prompt after our first Shark Week one shot where Toni looked after Cheryl. This time, Cheryl looks after Toni. ❤️
> 
> Me (theauthenticme) and Lilaussieauthor had fun writing this one, I hope you enjoy it!

 

Toni could always tell when her period was coming. It was like clockwork - every 23 days, she’d be in living hell - emotionally, physically, mentally. It killed her that she had cycles on the short side - it wasn’t so much the physical aspect, the max influx of hormones that flooded her body every month were enough to make her depressed, sulky and oh-so-fragile. It had come to the point where Toni was 90% sure that Cheryl had that period-tracker app for _her_ period, rather than her own, so that if Toni snapped and cried and bitched Cher knew that it wasn’t her fault. Last month had actually been alright - she’d had like, four temper tantrums, but that was on the low side, and she was happy. But hell - it was like this time round her monthly visitor was making up for what it had missed last time. She was curled up on Cheryl’s bed, waiting for her girlfriend to come home, eating a huge block of chocolate and wearing one of Cheryl’s T-shirts and she really just wanted a hug, something to stop the impending panic and the overall need to cry.

"TT?" Cheryl stood at the doorway to their room, an anxious look on her face. "I thought you'd be watching your fav show on Netflix, the new episode is out tonight right?" Toni never missed it. "Are you okay?"

“Waiting for you"Toni said, avoiding both questions. “Cuddle me?” She could be _needy_ when she wanted to.

"Of course my love.." she threw her hair up into a messy bun and climbed onto the bed beside her girlfriend, holding out her arms.

Toni crawled in, a pout on her face. She went to ask Cheryl a question but instead found herself unable to talk, too tired and emotional to even try. Instead, she snuggled closer in, nuzzling her head tiredly into Cheryl’s neck.

Cheryl furrowed her brow, trying to work out what might have happened. Toni was rarely like this..unless..Cheryl pulled out her phone, checking the date. "Have you got your period babe?"

Toni grumbled. “So what if I do?” She was so tired, so _flat_ , as if the tiniest thing could trigger the biggest tantrum.

"No reason..just checking in.." she kissed her forehead, rubbing her back to comfort her.

Toni hummed, tilting her head up so Cher could kiss her nose, her eyes, her lips. “Kay,” she mumbled, wincing slightly as a cramp tore through her abdomen.

"Can I?" Cheryl asked, her hand hovering over Toni's abdomen, seeking permission.

“Please" Toni whispered. She wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, to escape the emotional and physical torture her body was putting her through.

She pushed closer to Cheryl and tensed slightly, a heavy sadness settling in her chest for no reason whatsoever.

Cheryl slipped her hand under the oversized t shirt Toni wore, her warm hand starting to massage Toni's stomach, her other wrapped around Toni, playing softly with her hair.

Toni melted into her, closing her eyes. “Mm... Cher...” it felt good.

"Just relax TT, I've got you." She knew how Toni could get during her period and she wanted to make her feel better.

Toni gave a little hum, tuning into Cheryl's hand and ignoring the weight over her chest. Her eyes closed, she pressed her body closer into Cher's, trying to squeeze as close as possible against her girlfriend. "Sorry for being clingy," she mumbled, making no effort to move.

"Don't say sorry TT..it's completely fine. You're allowed to be clingy whenever you need to" she pulled Toni closer, keen to make her feel safe.

"Mm" Toni murmured. She ran her fingers absentmindedly over Cheryl's waist. "How was your day, baby?"

"It was good. I felt like I hardly saw you though. How was yours?"

"T'was okay" Toni mumbled. "Did some math." Her face scrunched up comically at the thought.

"Look like you loved that" she chuckled. "I'm glad we both have the evening free tonight. I missed you."

Toni smiled. "Missed you too." She pushed Cheryl's hand off her gently and rolled over so that she laid on top of the redhead, her head resting on Cheryl's chest. "Hi..." she giggled youthfully, her face splitting into a grin. _Stupid mood swings._

"Hi" Cheryl grinned back, her hand falling into Toni's hair again. She loved Toni's hair.

Toni sighed happily, letting Cheryl play with her hair. "Did you talk to Weatherbee about prom today?" She asked the redhead, for lack of conversation.

"A little, it's all in hand, it's shaping up to be a good night."

Toni nodded. "I'm sure it will be perfect if you're in charge" she hummed, pressing soft kisses to Cheryl's jawline.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" Toni always made her feel good about herself.

"Always" Toni smiled, sighing. "What are we gonna do tonight?"

"Whatever you feel like. If you just wanna snuggle in bed, that's fine with me."

"I do" Toni said. "But if you wanna do something else, make sure you tell me."

"I want you to be happy. If all you feel like is this, then I'm happy with that."

"I'm only happy if you're happy" Toni said, knowing she was being annoying. "So I don't care."

"Well I feel like laying here and snuggling" she declared. "So be happy and enjoy."

"Mkay" Toni whispered. "You're so... comfy."

"I'm glad my body has more than one use to you TT" she smirked.

"It has lots of uses!" Toni said adamantly. She pushed herself up so she had a slight advantage on Cheryl. "But I have a favourite."

"Oh you do? And what might that be exactly?!"

Toni grinned, manoeuvring one of her thighs between Cheryl's and pressing her lips to the red ones opposite. "What do you think?"

"I'm drawing a _complete_  blank" she winked. "I think you should show me."

Toni's heart rate increased ten fold. "You're silly" she breathed, lowering down and arching her waist slightly against Cheryl's, foreheads resting together.

"Oh so now I'm silly?" She chuckled.

"Incredibly" Toni said, her stomach cramps replaced by a completely different - and much more pleasant - phenomenon. "How could you forget how this makes you feel?" She took Cheryl's lips in her own, trying to ease the redhead's mouth open.

"I guess you better make it memorable if you want me to remember it TT."

"You're just looking for punishment" Toni smiled, but a little anxious voice in the back of her head wondered if Cheryl's statement had a bit of truth to it.

Cheryl hummed, her fingers gripping Toni's back as Toni's thigh made contact again.

Toni pulled Cheryl closer, connecting their lips again in an attempt to drown out her thoughts, rubbing her thigh between Cheryl's legs as the warmth in her belly travelled lower.

Cheryl enjoyed when they did this but knew with Toni on her period, if they did have sex, Cheryl wouldn't be able to reciprocate like she usually did.

"Is something wrong?" Toni asked, panicking slightly when Cheryl dialled it back a tone. "Did I do something?"

"No..no.." she cupped Toni's face. "Of course not. I was just thinking..I won't be able to make you feel good like I usually do tonight."

"Oh, damn," Toni said, the reason why dawning on her. "That's okay, though... I can still make you feel good."

Cheryl shook her head. "You don't have to do that TT, I don't want you to feel you have to when you're not feeling great."

"I-I don't feel I _have_ to," Toni objected halfheaartedly. She fell silent with a look from her girlfriend. "Sorry, Cher."

"I know you don't..you know what I meant." She blushed, not wanting to upset her girlfriend.

"Mm" Toni sighed, rolling off Cheryl and facing away from her. "I'm tired, night."

"Toni, its barely 6 o clock" Cheryl scoffed, rolling onto her side and leaning up on her elbow to look at Toni.

"So what?" Toni snapped. "I'm allowed to want to sleep, Cher. Some of us have to work instead of getting everything done for us." _Too far, Toni_ , the voice in the back of her head said, but she didn't even care right then.

Cheryl took a deep breath, reminding herself that Toni could get like this when she was on her period. "Toni.." she hummed softly, her hand rubbing up and down Toni's arm, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"What?" her voice was sharp. "I'm sorry I can't do what you want me to. I can't help it."

"I don't _want_ you to do anything. What I want is for you to be happy and right now, you're clearly not."

"Damn right I'm not," Toni glared. "I _hate_ this!"

"Let me help then TT" she soothed, her hand instinctively rubbing small circles into Toni's back.

Toni whimpered, rolling back over. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm just... my anxiety... and I'm so _sad_ " she sniffled, curling closer to Cheryl to try to prevent her tears. "I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"It's okay, I get it and I wanna help."

"Help," Toni repeated, her eyes filling with tears. "I need help."

"Come here" she pulled her into her arms. "I'm here babe."

Toni's lip wobbled. "I don't know how to help it," she whispered. "It feels worse than normal..." She was so damn sad. She tried to focus on the good things - Cher, obviously. Prom in a few weeks. Their vacation for the week following. But nothing felt concrete, nothing felt right. It was reminiscent of when she lived with her uncles... back when the scars on her wrists had been cuts rather than scars.

"Im sorry you're feeling worse" Cheryl hated to see Toni so upset. "Can you tell me what's making you feel sad? Maybe I can help you feel better."

“I-I don’t know,” she whimpered. “I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing... like I’m not here for anything...” she trailed off, closing her eyes, trying to stop the onslaught of tears fighting their way to the surface.

"What do you mean not here for anything babe?" She furrowed her brow, a look of concern on her face.

Toni shrunk into herself. It seemed stupid now, much less than Cheryl’s problems. “It doesn’t matter, Cher, I’ll be fine.”

"Don't do that T, _please_. It does matter, it matters to me.."

"Sorry," Toni bit her lip. It felt like she couldn't do anything right. "I don't understand why I'm here... what my purpose is. I feel like... I'm replaceable. Like if I went... no one would care." A small part inside her _knew_ she was wrong, knew that Cher would blow her top now that she'd said it, but it was how she felt.

"Toni! That is _so_ far from the truth, I don't even know how I begin putting it into words. You mean the world to me. You're my everything. A lot of people love you and the world would be a very dark place without you in it" tears welled in her eyes as she tried to explain to Toni exactly how much she meant to her.

" I really, really mean that TT" Cheryl hoped her sincere words would be enough.

“P-promise?” Toni turned her watery eyes to Cheryl’s brown ones.

"With all my heart." She leaned close and placed a gentle kiss against Toni's lips.

Toni closed her eyes, sighing. She believed Cheryl, she did, but at the same time she didn’t feel right, not at all.

"What's making you anxious?" Cheryl whispered softly.

“E-everything” Toni mumbled. “All my school work... and the poisons... and I know you’re gonna be mad but i still don’t feel good enough for you, Cher, I’m sorry...” she trailed off, tears pooling in her pretty brown eyes.

"Hey..I'm not mad.." Cheryl wiped Toni's tears away with her thumbs. "And I know me sat here saying that you don't need to worry about all that isn't going to change how you feel overnight, but you honestly _don't_ need to worry. You are so smart TT, you run the Poisons amazingly and as for me..it's a privilege that I get to be with _you_." 

Toni closed her eyes, tears rolling down her face silently. “I know... I know, I’m sorry I can’t help it.”

"It's okay.." Cheryl held her close and rubbed her back again in an effort to soothe her girlfriend.

Toni snuggled closer. “I’m just sad” she whispered, burying her face in Cheryl’s neck. “I don’t know why.”

"Hormones babe" Cheryl concluded, although it made her heart sad to see Toni so upset.

“Right" Toni whimpered. “Sorry, Cher.”

"You don't need to say sorry, I just want to make it better for you T."

“Kay” Toni said. “Just... just hold me, please.” Her voice was vulnerable, weak.

"As long as you need TT" she wanted to cover her girl in kisses and tell her everything would be okay.

“Forever?” Toni asked quietly. “Don’t leave me.”

"Never TT. I swear."

“Never" Toni repeated softly. Never was nice. “Can.. can we watch the new episode? Please?”

"Up here or you wanna go down and watch?"

“Don’t wanna move" Toni mumbled. “Can we stay here?”

"Of course we can" she grabbed the remote and set it up for Toni.

Toni curled into her side, her head resting on Cheryl’s collarbone. As the intro to her show started to play, she closed her eyes, breathing Cheryl in and nuzzling closer.

"Try and sleep babe" she grazed her fingers through Toni's scalp. "It will make you feel better." She hoped what she said to Toni had helped atleast a bit.

Toni hummed, relaxing, finally, into her girlfriend. “Thank you, Cher,” she whispered, eyes still closed. “You’re the best.” She focussed on the feeling of her tired body pressed up against Cheryl’s, the heaviness settling down as she drifted off, not paying any attention to her show anyway, just - as always - paying attention to the redhead who had saved her life over and over again.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave us your thoughts in a comment, we love reading them so much!
> 
> We would also love any Choni prompts you have!
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys 3x20 tonight, I can't wait to watch it!


End file.
